The Fate of Professor Montgomery
by not-so-loony13
Summary: Everyone knows that there is a curse on the DADA position; only the Weasley twins are smart enough to capitalize on it. But even they are caught off-guard when someone unexpected joins in the fun!


A/N: Just a little drablet that popped into my head. I'm attempting to get rid of my writer's block! Thanks for reading.

"What do you reckon, Gred?"

"I don't know, Forge. I can't decide if this one will—"

"Quit…"

"…Get the sack…"

"…Or die a horrendous death," the twins finished together. Fred and George Weasley stood in the middle of the Gryffindor common room. It was the first day of classes, and just in time for the "I-can't-believe-I-slept-this-late" rush. The night before, the students had all been introduced to their new Defense Against the Dark Arts professor. The last one had quit after a rather nasty encounter with the Whomping Willow.

Professor Montgomery had been alerted to the dangers of the Willow, and as he wouldn't go within fifty feet of the tree, it was doubtful that he would fall prey to the same fate as his predecessor. However, there were many other ways a teacher could leave…

"So what do you say?"

"The position's cursed, everyone knows that!"

"Why not make the most of it, then?"

"Step right up and place your bets!"

Angelina Johnson wormed her way through the small crowd around the twins and placed some coins in a hat George was holding. "Eight Sickles say he's sacked," she said confidently. "Seemed like a right git to me." The crowd murmured in agreement and several other students put gold in on her bet. A seventh year snorted as he saw the gathering, but dropped a Galleon into the hat anyway, saying, "He'll off it for sure. We haven't had one die since my second year, and it might as well be him."

Moments later, as Fred and George were being bombarded with bets; Percy Weasley stepped through the portrait hole. He had already been to breakfast, and was rather horrified to see his own brothers _gambling._

"Fred! George!" he cried, eyes widening in shock. "_What _in Merlin's name are you doing?"

"Betting on how this DADA professor's gonna go," George said nonchalantly. "So far he'll be sacked, die, run off with a Veela, and lose an arm to some Dark Creature. What do you say?"

Percy didn't hear anything beyond "professor". He had moved quickly past shock and was now quite furious. "Mother's going to hear about this! You're only _second years,_" He said, face reddening. "How could you be so…so…_crude_? Betting on the fate of a professor! And _you_!" he cried, pointing at the prefects who had joined the group. "You're supposed to stop this kind of thing! I can't _believe _it." With that, Percy swiveled on his heel and marched straight to his dormitory, no doubt to write a lengthy account of the horrors he had just witnessed.

Seconds later, Fred said sadly, "Poor boy's already a nutter, and he hasn't even taken his OWLs yet." George nodded with an equally tragic disposition, which brightened a moment later as he said,

"Any more takers?" Five minutes later, almost everyone in Gryffindor had made some kind of bet. The crowd dissipated, leaving only Fred and George in the common room, counting the money.

"Best idea we ever had, brother!" Fred cried gleefully.

George laughed as he slid another pile of Sickles in front of himself. "I dunno…does it beat the time we got Peeves to throw cat food at Filch all day last year?" The two looked at each other for a moment, contemplating. "Yes!" They agreed, and laughed again.

Unbeknownst to them, the portrait hole opened once more. Neither boy noticed another presence in the room until she spoke.

"Mr. Weasley…and Mr. Weasley. It seems the rumors were right. Taking bets on the fate of a professor, are we? I'm afraid that's against the rules."

Fred and George stared first at each other and then at their visitor.

"And you two are only second years! Six more years of mayhem…" Professor McGonagall sighed. "I'm going to have to give you detention, you know." The boys nodded, resigned.

"However…" she continued with a twinkle in her eye, "I disagree with whoever believes our new professor will perish. It seems more likely to me that he'll become mentally unstable after one year with you two as his students." The Professor calmly placed a single Sickle in one of George's piles and then walked out of the room.

Fred and George blinked few times before grins enveloped their faces.

"Wicked!"


End file.
